Climatic and environmental events over the Last Termination, as recorded in The Netherlands: a review

Abstract

The Last Termination, orWeichselian Lateglacial (ca 15-10 ka cal. BP), is a time period with rapid changes in climate and environment. The oxygen-isotope records of the Greenland ice-cores are regarded as the most complete climate proxy for the North Atlantic region. In The Netherlands several other proxies have been investigated and dated in great detail over the last few decades. However, changes registered in the different records are not by definition causally related to climate changes. Comparison of the different records on a common time-scale permits evaluation of the interrelationships and correlations to the Greenland ice-cores. Some events are the result of the complex interplay of different environmental variables and have no causal relationship with climate changes at all. By comparing the different records on a common time-scale and examining spatial patterns, the links between the proxies become evident.

Early Holocene environmental change and the presence of Mesolithic people in the Tungelroyse Beek valley near Mildert, the Netherlands

“…This lithological change at the start of the Late Preboreal can be observed as well in other Dutch Preboreal records (Bos et al 2007). At many locations, Sphagnum peat growth started or higher lake water tables are recorded (van Geel et al 1981;Hoek and Bohncke 2002), which are probably indications for a sudden change to a more humid climate (van der Plicht et al 2004;Bos et al 2007).…”

“…These facts combined indicate the presence of a hiatus in the Late Boreal part of the diagram. Hiatuses occur more often in the Boreal period, which was supposedly a dry period (Hoek and Bohncke 2002;Bos et al 2007).…”

Preboreal climate oscillations in Europe: Wiggle-match dating and synthesis of Dutch high-resolution multi-proxy records

“…A gradual increase in the water level recorded at many locations-e.g., Kreekrak, Borchert and Haelen-suggests that the increase in temperature coincided with an increase in precipitation (see also Hoek and Bohncke, 2002). Higher lake water levels between 11,450 and 11,400 cal BP have also been reported from elsewhere in west-central Europe (Magny et al, 2007).…”

“…1b). This is probably related to the lower groundwater levels during this phase (Hoek, 1997a;Hoek and Bohncke, 2002). Preboreal sites with more complete records seem to be concentrated in river valleys (Fig.…”

Early Holocene environmental change, the presence and disappearance of early Mesolithic habitation near Zutphen (The Netherlands)

“…The expansion of Corylus avellana (hazel) at the beginning of the Boreal was therefore not recorded at Zutphen. The lower part of the Zutphen-VI sequence, between 77-31 cm, thus represents the complete Late Preboreal (zone 4c in Hoek 1997 andHoek andBohncke 2002).…”